Frederick d



(No Model.)

vF. D. OWEN. PEDAL FOR BIGYGLES.

; N0.'553,685. Patented JanJza, 1896.

UNITED STATES vPATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK D. OIYEN, OF lVASl-IINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

PEDAL FOR BICYCLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 553,685,'dated January28, 1896.

Application filed July 22, 1895. Serial No. 556,797. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK I). OWEN, a citizen of the United States,residing` at Vashington, in the District of Columbia, have inventedcertain new and useful Im-A provements in Pedals for Bicycles; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in pedalsfor bicycles, and has for its object a construction which will rigidlybind the foot to the pedal-base during the pedling operation, but whichwill instantly release the foot at the will of the rider or in the eventof his being thrown from the machine.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrative of my invention, Figure lrepresents a plan view of one form of bicycle-pedal embodying myinvention, certain of the parts being shown in section and the positionof certain others indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 2 represents a sectionand partial elevation on the line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 represents a topplan view thereof partly in section with the pedal-plate and bindingaccessories removed. Fig. 4 represents a section on the line I L of Fig.l.

Fig. 5 represents certain details of construc-v tion. Fig. G representsa top plan view of a modified form of pedaling-plate, and Fig. 7represents a top plan View of another modiiication.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts throughout theseveral views.

Referring tothe drawings, A indicates the crank-arm of a bicycle-pedalprovided with a pedal-supporting arm a., having at its outer end theusual cone b, nut c, and intermediate washer d, said cone b and theextended end af of the arm a being cut away at their proximate edges soas to form a track for the bear ing-balls e. The ball-bearing iscompleted by a steel forging f milled out to accommodate the balls e,and the ball-,bearing thus made is ren dered dust-proof by theinterposition on opposite sides of the series of balls of two annulardisks g of felt or the like. The forging 5o f is provided with a forwardextension f and a lug f2. A pivot-pin h, at right angies to thehorizontal axis of vertical oscillation of the pedal, is provided at itsupper end with an expanded head 7L and at its lower end with ascrew-thread h2. The pivot-pin 7L serves as the means of connectionbetween the forging f and the pedal-plate m, and is secured in place bythe conical nut 71,3 and set-nut 7L* with the intermediate washer 71,5,these nuts being adjustable so as to take up wear. Through theinstrumentality of the pivot-pin the plate m is permitted to have aslight oscillating motion either upon the pivot-pin or with it and in aplane at right angles to its plane of vertical oscillation.

The pedal-plate m is preferably made of sheet-steel struck up in asuitable die so as to provide a track for the bearing-balls @C In someinstances the plate m is provided with an additional trackway at itsrear end for the reception of bearing-balls e2, thereby still furtherdiminishing friction. The forging f is provided on its upper surfacewith corresponding tracks for the reception of the bearing-balls, asindicated.

The pedal-plate m may extend rearwardly, as indicated in dotted lines,to form a support for the heel of the rider; but preferably itterminates at a point in advance of the heel and is provided thereatwith an upwardlyprojecting curved ridge fn, serrated upon its upperedge. The pivot-pin 7i in practice will be found to be located, in theposition shown, about midway beneath the ball of the foot, and willfurnish a center or sidewise oscillation so as to accommodate itself tothe slight sidewise oscillation of the foot during the pedaling action.

At its forward end the plate m is provided with a proj ectionm, throughwhich passes a pivot-pin r. This pivot-pin is screw-threaded at itslower end for the reception of a retaining-nut r' and serves as a centerof oscillation for two pivoted members s s', which eX- tend outwardly inbow form with a returnbend, as shown more fully in Fig. 2. These armsconstitute means for automatically binding or gripping the foot to thepedalplate. Thus, for instance, the arm s extends with an upward bend s2through a slot m2 of the pedal-plate, and the arm s is provided with anupturned portion s3 engaging with a plate S4 which is connected ,to thepedal-plate m by means of a sliding pin s3.

During the ICO pedaling action the toe portion oi' the riders shoenaturally presses forward between the arms s s and forces said armsapart. Consequent] y the inner ends of said arms move toward each otherand clamp the riders shoe between the projections .S2 and s4. Then therider wishes to release his foot he moves it backwardly, thereby takingthe pressure from the forward ends of the arms s s', and consequentlyrelieving the binding action oi the clamping ends upon the shoe.

The advantage of using simply an u pt u rned end s2 as a clamping memberfor the shoe is one of economy of construction, and it is of courseobvious that the same upturncd arm could be used as the clamping memberof the arm s. rlhe advantage of using the plate st is that it may bemade adjustable so that the pedal may be set for any particular width ofshoe, and it is equally evident that this adjustable plate may be usedas the clamping member of the arm s, so as to give a wider range ofadjustment.

In the construction shown in Fig. G I have substituted for the plate mtwo homologous plates m5m,l1aving arms s bowed or curved in a mannersimilar to the curvature of the .forward ends of the arms s s. Theseplates are provided with a series of apertures t t t2. According as thepivotpin h is passed through the one or the other of this series ofapertures the clamping leverage of the arms si sG is correspondinglyadjusted. rllhe plates m5 m are provided withupturned clamping portions37 SS, which may be adjusted by means of the pin-and-slot connection 39;The operation of this modification of the invention is apparent. Thepedal-plate, consisting ofthe two sections M5772, is connected to theforging f by means of the pivot-pin 7L and constitutes its own clampingdevice for the shoe of the rider- 'z'. e., the forward pressure of thetoe of the riders shoe between the bowed arms s6 causes theplate-sections m5 m6 to come together, thereby clamping the edge of theshoe between the projections s7 sg.

In the modification shown in Fig. 7 the plate m, secured to the forgingf in the same manner as is represented in Figs. l and 2, is providedupon its upper surface with slide-plates c c', pivoted to each other att? and connected to the plate m by slots U3 and pins t". At theirforward ends the plates c 'v' are adapted to have secured to them thecurved arms sw s, bowed or arched in like manner to that shown in Fig.2. rlhese arms are adjustable by means of bolt-nuts entering in one of aseries of corresponding perforations in the plates u c. At their rearends the plates t* `t' are provided with clamping projections s12 sm. Inthis modification oi' the invention the foot of the rider during thepedaling operation causes the plates vv c to move bodily forward, andthis movement being guided by the pin-and-slot connection with the platem causes the clamping projections S12 S13 to bind upon the edge of theriders shoe. A backward movement of; the foot releases this clampingaction.

So far I am aware it is broadly new to provide a bicycle-pedal withshoe-clamps which are caused to move inwardly and automatically bind theshoe to the pedal by reason of the forward thrust of the shoe during thepedaling action, and which are adapted to be disengaged at the will ofthe operator by the withdrawal of the shoe. This is the maincharacteristic feature of my invention illustrated in the severalmodifications, and is of a generic character common to them all. Idesire to be understood therefore as claiming this feature broadlywherever found in bicycle-pedals.

It will be of course understood that the automatic clamping devices, ashereinbe'fore described, are applicable to the ordinary form ofrectangular pedal having two bearin in use at present. In fact, theclaims are intended to cover the devices therein set forth wherever theymay appear in bicycle-pedal constructiom. I may also in some instancesdispense with the automatic clamping devices shown in Figs. l and l anduse the pedal construction therein illustrated without said clampingdevices, in which event I would still derive the useful function due tothe footplate pivoted in advance or to one side of the axis of thepedal-shaft.

Ot course it .is evident that rubber can be applied to this form ofpedal, as may be found expedient.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

l. A bicycle pedal provided with foot clamps, having operating memberspivoted together and adapted to be spread by the riders shoe duringpedaling and to thereby cause the foot-clamps to bind upon the shoe;substantially as described.

2. A bicycle pedal provided with foot clamps, and means in the path oi'forward pressure of the riders shoe for causing said clamps to moveinwardly and bind upon the shoe, said clamps being mounted upon thepedal base to oscillate sidewise, substantially as described.

3. A bicycle pedal mounted to swing in a vertical plane upon an axialsupport, and provided with foot clamps mounted to swing side wise uponpivotal bearings located in advance of the axial support and providedwith forward projections beyond the pivotal mounting, for engagementwith the toe portion ot the riders shoe; substantially as described.

4f. A bicycle pedal mounted to swing in a vertical plane upon an axialsupport, and pro vided with a base piece, a foot plate pivoted to swingside-wise upon the base piece and having shoe clamping projections andarms pivoted in advance of the axial support and having projectionsbeyond the pivotal. mounting for engagement with the toe portion of theriders slice; substantially as described.

IOO

IOS

IIO

ter in advance of the axis upon which the pedal is mounted;substantially as described. 7. A bicycle pedal, provided with a footplate mounted to swing laterally upon a center in advance of the axisupon which the pedal is mounted, and ball bearings for said foot plate;substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK D. OWEN. lVitnesses v HENRY E. COOPER, MARGARET V. COOPER.

